Gone But Never Lost
by Emily Rose Pond
Summary: A one night stand left Clara Oswald single and pregnant at 17. How will she cope and when she meets her grown up daughter how will she react?
1. The Rose and Crown

"What do you mean you're pregnant?! Clara, this better be a joke!"  
"Of course it isn't! Why on Earth would I joke about this?! Do you think I want this?! Well do you?!"  
"Clara, I will have no part in this. It was a one night stand, we were both lonely. This child is yours and solely yours."  
"Tom you can't leave me! I can't look after a child. Look at me I can barely look after myself! I'm only 17 for goodness sake!"  
"You should have thought about that beforehand shouldn't you! Goodbye Clara. Enjoy responsibility."  
"Tom wait! Please I can't do this on my own! TOM!" Tears rolled down Clara's pale face as she shrank down against the rough, brick wall. It was a cold, dark winters night outside The Rose and Crown pub as Clara pulled herself up from the rain drenched pavement and looked around her. Her life was disintegrating around her faster than she realised, in just nine months she would have responsibility for the first time in her life and she wasn't looking forward to it. In just nine months she would be a mother to a child who was sure to hate her because she couldn't provide a good enough life and she knew that she couldn't do this to a child. In her mind there and then, Clara promised herself that no matter what the child would come first, no matter what sacrifices she had to make. "Don't worry, I'll make things right. You can trust me to do that at least." Clara whispered to her unborn child as she began to make her way back into the flat above the pub.


	2. Nine Months On

"Charlie, I'm off for the night. I'll see you in the morning." Clara yelled to the barman from the staircase leading to the flat above The Rose And Crown.

"Clara, be early Old Jim likes to be here 8 o'clock sharp!"  
"I know, I've worked here for 5 years now!" Clara started to make her way up as quickly as she could manage, after all it was a narrow staircase and she wasn't as thin as she had been nine months ago. As she reached the top of the stairs she felt a sharp pain in her stomach but she dismissed it and carried on into her flat. The flat above the pub was small and dingy but was all Clara could afford since she had been disowned by her parents. They didn't approve of her being a single mother at the age of 17 and had refused to take any interest in her life from then onwards. Pain struck again in her stomach as she sat down on her damp, rusty bed, it hadn't occurred to her that she was having contractions and she was going into labour with her child. Half way through the night Clara woke up to find herself lying in a sodden bed while in intense pain. Only now did she realise what was happening and what she must do.

The next morning Clara came into work at half past eight but she had someone with her. "Clara, you're half an hour late! Where were you?"  
"Shh Charlie, I've had a busy night if you didn't notice!" She nodded towards her daughter who lay sleeping in her arms.  
"What are you doing here!? You should be in hospital!" Charlie looked genuinely concerned as Clara made her way behind the bar.  
"Because all hospitals want a seventeen year old single mother who's about to give birth at three in the morning! Anyway I'm fine no need to worry about me!"  
"Well take it easy. Anyway what did you name them?"  
"I named _her_ Olivia. Olivia May Oswald. Where do you want me then?" She said slightly annoyed at Charlie for being so inconsiderate to her child.  
"Front of house as usual Clara, also can you tell _her_ to be quiet!"  
"Olivia will be quiet when everyone else is, she was sleeping if you hadn't noticed!"  
"Clara can you put Olivia down and do some work your shift should have started an hour ago, and also make sure she doesn't disturb any of my customers!" Charlie told Clara sternly.  
"She won't. Stop worrying and let me get on with working!"

Life was going pretty smoothly for Clara, she looked after Olivia like any good mother would and everyone down at the pub had accepted Clara carrying around Olivia as she served drinks to all of the 'regulars'.That all changed though on Friday morning.

"Clara! Clara! Can I come in?!" said Charlie as he knocked on the door.  
"It's open!" Said Clara as she walked towards the door rocking Olivia slowly as she went. "Charlie! Why are you here!? It's only seven o'clock I have an hour until my shift starts."  
"I know but I'm here about your rent. You need to pay. Now" Charlie spoke sternly as if he would take no nonsense.  
"Charlie, you know I can't afford to pay right now, not with me having to buy all of these things for Olivia. Look, I'm going out to look for a second job tomorrow and I'll pay you when I find one." Clara replied hastily.  
"Clara pay me by Monday or you're out. And I'm serious." and with that Charlie turned to leave "Also please don't let me down. I want you to stay but I can't afford you to not pay your rent every week." As Charlie closed the door behind him Clara could only prevent herself from crying, how was she supposed to find another job. Nobody wants a seventeen year old single mother who can't look after herself properly. What would she do...


End file.
